We all know the adverts telling us about how good Aloe Vera is for helping with skin conditions, keeping us younger looking, helping get rid of sunburn. But, what do we know abut the plant itself, where it`s from etc?

Many people drink aloe vera as well as use it on their skin, gums, hair and scalp, for a number of reasons. Among the top 10 reasons include: Energy, Immune Function and Support, Digestion, Skin Regeneration etc

There are over 240 different species of Aloe, growing mainly in the dry regions of Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

Of the 240+ species of Aloe, only four are recognized as having nutritional value, with Aloe barbadensis miller considerably in the lead. Aloe barbadensis miller is the type of Aloe used in most commercial products with aloe content available today.

Aloe Vera gel contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. It`s the gel that contains the all important nutritional characteristics, not the outer skin. :wink:

When we were in barbados a few years ago we had some sunburn. a local guy came up to us with some aloe vera plant and he scooped out the gel into a jar. we paid him a dollar or so and took it back to our hotel. we used it and i must say it was very cooling and healing to the skin. smells abit and a bit sticky in the raw form but it was worth it at the time.

Aloe vera (syn. A. barbadensis Mill., A. vulgaris Lam.) is a species of Aloe, native to northern Africa.

It is a stemless or very short-stemmed plant growing to 80-100 cm tall, spreading by offsets and root sprouts. The leaves are lanceolate, thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced on a spike up to 90 cm tall, each flower pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2-3 cm long.

Aloe vera is relatively easy to care for in cultivation. The species requires well-drained sandy soil in moderate light. Potted plants should be allowed to completely dry prior to re-watering.

A. vera has a long history of cultivation throughout the drier tropical and subtropical regions of the world, both as an ornamental plant and for herbal medicine. For its herbal and medicinal uses, many of which are shared with related species, see Aloe.

Did you know though that it is also a food preservative?

Researchers at the University of Miguel Hernández in Alicante, Spain, have developed a gel based on A. vera that prolongs the conservation of fresh produce, such as fresh fruit and legumes. This gel is tasteless, colourless and odourless. This natural product is a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic preservatives such as sulfur dioxide. The study showed that grapes at 1°C coated with this gel could be preserved for 35 days against 7 days for untreated grapes. According to the researchers, this gel operates through a combination of mechanics (Serrano et al., 2006), forming a protective layer against the oxygen and moisture of the air and inhibiting, through its various antibiotic and antifungal compounds, the action of micro-organisms that cause foodborne illnesses.

Interesting stuff! :wink: